THE big showdown between the Lannisters and the High Sparrow turned out to be fizzer in today's new episode of Game of Thrones.

A behind-the-scenes deal with King Tommen left his uncle/father Jaime and the Tyrells hanging out to dry in front of a huge public gathering.

Jaime will lead the Lannister forces to River Run where Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully has been giving local lord Walder Frey a hard time.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in a scene from season six episode six of Game of Thrones. Contributed

The old but familiar face of Benjen Stark returned to our screens with Bran's uncle riding in to save him and Meera against a band of White Walkers.

Clearly Uncle Benjen knows a lot about the Three Eyed Raven's plans for Bran, whom he says will be there when the White Walker army eventually makes it to The Wall.

Australian Essie Davis continued her guest role as stage actress Lady Crane, whom Arya decides not to assassinate and thus not join the faceless men. But it doesn't appear Jaqen H'ghar and Waif will let her off the hook that easily.

Maisie Williams in as scene from season six episode six of Game of Thrones.Contributed

GoT fans hoping for a return of Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo, because of the episode's title, will be disappointed but there are still four more episodes this season for him to make a return in some form.

Instead, his widow Daenerys rallied the Dothraki blood riders to her side after impressing them with her dragon riding abilities.

Here are three key things we took away from episode six, Blood of My Blood:

Bran and Meera saved, but by who?

Ellie Kendrick and Isaac Hempstead Wright in a scene from season six episode six of Game of Thrones. Contributed

Just when everything appeared hopeless Bran and Meera, presumably our last two hopes north of the Wall, a mysterious figure appeared on horseback.

The cloaked figure, wielding a ball of fire, killed several white walkers as Meera protected Bran under a tree.

He dragged both onto his horse and the three galloped away, posing more questions for which we longed the answers.

Bran, while incapacitated, had flashbacks that covered not only his life, but those of big events that came before.

The Mad King, Aerys Targaryen, featured prominently in the sequence, as did the Kingslayer Jaime Lannister, who is known to have killed the Targaryen.

This was not revisited, but the mystery of who saved the young Stark was answered.

The last we heard about Uncle Benjen, he had gone beyond the Wall and was lost.

Now he has returned.

Benjen was stabbed in the stomach with the sword of ice, who revealed the Children of the Forest revived him the same way the Children created the White Walkers in the first place.

We just met the new Tywin…

John Bradley as Samwell Tarly in a scene from Game of Thrones.Contributed

As if there was not already enough angry jerks running the various Houses, Randyll Tarly made his triumphant debut.

Samwell Tarly and Gilly made the long trek to Horn Hill, the home of the Tarlys, for a relatively safe family reunion.

While both Melessa (Samwell's mother) and Talla (his sister) were accepting and lovingly took in the long-travelled pair, Randyll wasn't quite as receptive.

He repeatedly insulted Samwell, hammering his weight, his cowardice, and resented how he was to become a Maester.

The tipping point was when Gilly described how Samwell killed a White Walker on their way down to Castle Black.

Randyll revealed his hatred for wildlings, highlighting how the sword, Heartsbane, which is (very importantly) made of Valyrian steel, had been in the Tarly family for more than 500 years. He expelled Samwell from the House, saying the former Night's Watch member would never wield the sword.

Jamie Lannister faces the High Sparrow

Jonathan Pryce, Dean-Charles Chapman, Natalie Dormer, Hannah Waddingham and Eugene Simon and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (front) in a scene from season six episode six of Game of Thrones. Contributed

The trailer teased a showdown between Jamie Lannister and the High Sparrow, but instead the Kingslayer found himself cast out of King's Landing.

Jamie, Cersei and the Tyrrells formulated a plan to face down the High Sparrow and recover Margaery before her walk of atonement.

Instead King Tommen unveiled a new alliance between the Kingdom and the faith.

The young ruler stripped Jamie of his role as Commander of the Kingsguard, and said he would be much better utilised on the front line.

Jamie didn't take to it too easily, though with the High Sparrow advising Tommen it may not be quite as easy for the Kingslayer to talk sense into the young King.

The removal of House Lannister and Tyrell's power will be a major story to unfold in coming weeks, but whether or not they can regain what they've lost is another question altogether.